Hannah Kobayashi, the 30-year-old woman from Hawaii who was the subject of an intense search, is only now learning about the widespread attention she received after her family reported her missing last month.
Kobayashi said Monday in a letter distributed through Larie Pidgeon, her aunt, that she returned to the U.S. from Mexico on Sunday.
“I was unaware of everything that was happening in the media while I was away, and I am still processing it all,” she said in the statement.
Kobayashi, of Maui, arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on Nov. 8 but missed a connecting flight to New York City, family members said.
Her family became alarmed a few days later when she stopped communicating with them, they said. They reported her missing Nov. 13, with the Los Angeles Police Department taking over the case Nov. 15, police said.
Relatives were particularly concerned with security video showing an unknown man with Kobayashi in Los Angeles, but police said they investigated and found no wrongdoing.
Kobayashi had planned to travel to New York to tour museums and galleries as part of her goal of becoming an artist, Pidgeon has said.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said this month that it appeared Kobayashi willfully remained in Los Angeles and cut off communication on her own. He said she had her luggage rerouted back to Los Angeles International Airport after she missed her flight to New York City.
McDonnell also said investigators reviewed U.S. Customs and Border Protection video showing Kobayashi crossing into Mexico at the San Ysidro pedestrian crossing in San Diego at 12:13 p.m. Nov. 12.
While he said the woman was free to travel, he urged her to reach out to concerned family members, some of whom flew to Los Angeles from Hawaii and other parts of the country to coordinate their search.
On Nov. 24, after relatives gathered in Los Angeles, her father died by suicide near Los Angeles International Airport, police said.
Last week, Kobayashi’s family said she had been found safe. Her mother and sister, who did not say when or where she was found, said they were grateful she had been located.
In her statement Monday, Kobayashi said she returned to the U.S. at daybreak Sunday, without providing details about her experience.
“My focus now is on my healing, my peace and my creativity,” she said.
“I am deeply grateful to my family and everyone who has shown me kindness and compassion during this time.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
